Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton will make his second attempt to become the fastest F1 driver ever to complete a lap of the Top Gear test track this Sunday.

Hamilton was last seen on Top Gear in 2007 and lapped the show’s Reasonably Priced Car in his first run round the track in a Suzuki Liana.

But the road surface was wet on that occasion and left Hamilton trailing in fourth on the Top Gear leader board behind past and present Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell, Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel.

While Hamilton made a respectable run, getting round the track in 1m44.7s, Vettel completed his circuit a full seventh of a second faster, and it’s been something of a sore point for the Stevenage-born racer ever since.

A BBC spokesperson says that Hamilton will be “taking no prisoners” in his attempt to claim the number one spot, and the F1 champ certainly seems fired up about being back on the show. Earlier this year, he tweeted: “I'll be back on top gear soon.....can't wait.”

Three-time F1 champ Vettel will doubtless be tuning in to Top Gear at the weekend too, as the 27-year-old German recently revealed that he considers Hamilton one his key threats in the upcoming F1 season.

Top Gear will be broadcast this Sunday at 8:00pm on BBC2.